As a vintner, I have always been intent upon crafting distinguished wines from estate fruit grown with high-end farming standards and meticulous work in the winery.
My commitment to creating wines that express their sites as purely as possible has never wavered. My intention to remain an artisanal producer who brings into being a select number of bottles of the highest quality has not changed, either. But I continue to experiment and grow as a winemaker. Some years ago, a partner in Colombia (the country where I was born and where at the young age of fourteen I decided I would grow up to become a winemaker) suggested I consider creating wines that would offer excellent financial value alongside exquisite taste. That same year, I proudly introduced a group of exceptional and affordable wines I christened Alma de Cattleya–wines so-called because they represent, to the best of my ability, the soul of the California sites from which they have been derived.
As a winemaker I have always valued site over style. For me, terroir is not a concept but a material fact. I coax each Alma wine into being with the same respect I afford Cattleya bottles: that is, I think about the ways in which its special transparency offers a window into the beauty of the place from which it is made. With Alma Chardonnay, for instance, I aim for intensity of aromatics and a generous mouthful in order to render the beauty of Sonoma County. Because I am very sensitive to bitterness, I press the fruit with a light touch. Fermenting and aging Alma wines in French oak barrels also helps to create the finesse and balance I work toward in every bottle.
Working closely with nature means understanding the importance of flexibility and of resilience. During the pandemic, many of us are sheltering in place. And still, there are ways to create moments of enjoyment and glamour even as staying at home is a necessity. In this spirit, I invite you to explore our brand new offering of Alma de Cattleya Packages, pre-selected vintages that complement each other and highlight some of my favorite and distinguished features of Alma de Cattleya… Light and Crisp, Reds, and All In. We might not be able to socialize in groups for some time, but we can arrange an hour on Zoom, pour a glass of wine, and tip it in the direction of the friends with whom we are exchanging stories online.
To this end, we offer a link to the Alma de Cattleya shopping cart website. Here you can purchase a bottle or choose from among pre-selected packages of three, six, or twelve bottles. In this way, we hope to provide you with a way to share the long, slow days of summer with us.
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